


Lessons from Sophie

by meils121



Category: Leverage
Genre: Badass, Con Artists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 14:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13101798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meils121/pseuds/meils121
Summary: Sophie's been teaching Hardison how to grift.  It's a good thing she did.





	Lessons from Sophie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [D890MB279](https://archiveofourown.org/users/D890MB279/gifts).



            There’s a crash that sounds decidedly _not good_.  Hardison switches security camera feeds, but he can’t find Eliot anywhere.  “Eliot, are you okay?”  He asks over comms.  “Eliot?”

            There’s no response.  Not even a grunt.  

            Hardison switches to the next feed.  Eliot’s lying in a heap on the floor.  Unconscious.  

            “Parker, Eliot’s in the third floor east corridor.  He needs -”

            “Can’t.”  Parker says.

            “What do you mean, you can’t?”

            “I’m on the opposite side the building on the eighth floor and I have two laser grids to get through before I can even think about heading to his location.”  Parker says.  “I can’t.”

            “I’m going in.”

            “Be careful.”  Parker says.  “And quiet.  I have to concentrate.”

            Hardison climbs out of the van and looks around.  The tracker he has in everyone’s comms tells him exactly where Eliot is - it’s more a question of getting to him.  There’s three locked doors, a ton of security cameras, and an unknown number of guards between him and Eliot.

            But Eliot needs him, and Hardison’s not about to let his friend get arrested.  So he strolls into the building like he belongs there and flashes an FBI badge - the first thing he could find in the van - at the woman sitting at the reception desk.

            “We have a situation.”  Hardison says.  “Matter of national security.  I’m going to need access to the third floor.”

            “I - what?”  The woman asks.  “Who are you?”

            “Special Agent Hamill.  I believe your head of security has in custody a man we’ve been looking for.  I need to question him.”

            “In custody - there was a break in?”

            “Ma'am, I’m sure you understand that I can’t discuss this with a civilian.  Now, the third floor?”  One of the first things Sophie taught him about grifting was not giving the other person room to think.  

            “Right away.”  The woman hands him a passcard.  

            Hardison heads for the elevators.  Eliot’s actually on the seventeenth floor, where the CEO’s office is.  

            He’s just reached the right floor when a screeching alarm goes off.  “Parker?”

            “Set off a third laser grid.”  She says.  “Damn it!”

            They’ve got limited time now.  One intruder is one thing - multiple intruders start setting off more than just physical alarms.  The building will be going into lockdown any second.  

            Hardison just flashes his badge at the security guard and strides past him.  Second thing Sophie taught him: always move with purpose.  If he doesn’t believe what he’s doing, no one else will believe him either.  

            “There’s been a security breach.”  He barks at the closest person.  “You’ve got someone in custody that I need, now.”

            There’s a pause when nobody moves, and Hardison has the briefest period of doubt that no one’s going to do what he wants.  But then a guard is beckoning him down a long hallway and through one of the locked doors.  Eliot’s on the other side, handcuffed to a chair and looking more than a little worse for wear.  

            “I’m going to need you to take off those cuffs.”  Hardison says.  Third thing Sophie taught him: a good grifter gets others involved in the con.  “You hear that alarm?  His accomplice is hightailing it out of your research lab right this very second.  If we have any chance of figuring out what she was after, it’s coming from this man right here.  Now uncuff him!”

            The guard does as he’s told, and soon enough Eliot’s free.  

            “Get me back downstairs, now.  I need to take this man in for questioning right away.”  Hardison barks.  

            Eliot’s still a little dazed, but he has enough sense to stay quiet the whole time it takes them to get outside.  Parker’s already got the van started, and Hardison shoves Eliot in the back before jumping in the passenger side.  

            “You can expect a commendation from the FBI.”  Hardison tells the guard.  That’s not one of the things Sophie taught him, but that’s okay.  Improvisation is.

            Eliot mumbles something from the back of the van.

            “What was that?”

            “I said, how the hell did you get in to me that fast?  It took me twenty minutes.”

            “I didn’t punch people, Eliot.  I grifted.”  Hardison says smugly, proud that he actually managed to pull that off without something going wrong.

            “Damn it.”  Eliot says.  “Just please tell me you didn’t use an accent.”

 


End file.
